Superintendent says City Council has killed Art Pulse proposal

Barbara Henry

ENCINITAS — By not meeting last week and refusing to change this week’s agenda, the Encinitas City Council has effectively killed a proposal to put an arts center on the old Pacific View Elementary School property, the superintendent of the Encinitas Union School District announced late Wednesday.

“Our deal with (Art Pulse) will end next Tuesday because you wouldn’t put it on an agenda,” Superintendent Tim Baird told the council.

The art group won’t go forward with the plan unless the City Council agrees to accept their application for a zoning change before their due-diligence period with the school district ends Oct. 30, the group's executive director April Game said Thursday.

However, if the City Council won’t hold a special meeting, the school board could hold one to agree to extend the period, which is similar to escrow in a home purchase, she said.

“This is a huge opportunity for the city, economically and culturally,” Game said. It would be a shame if because of impatience or frustration or a refusal to be flexible that this opportunity was lost.”

Councilwoman Kristin Gaspar said Wednesday she hadn’t known there was an Oct. 30th deadline, and City Manager Gus Vina said he received Baird’s request to get the item on this week’s agenda after the agenda-posting deadline. Vina said the council plans to consider the art center proposal at its next gathering ---- its Nov. 14th meeting.

That’s too late, Baird said, and asked for a special council meeting either this coming Friday or next Monday. He said officials with Art Pulse need some assurance from the city before Tuesday or they’re dropping out of the deal, which took months to put together.

Tuesday is deadline day because after that point Art Pulse will lose the $300,000 deposit it has placed the property, he added.

The city attorney said the council could not legally decide Wednesday night whether to schedule a special meeting later this week because that item wasn’t on that night’s agenda.

This is latest skirmish in a long-running battle between the city and the school district over the future of the old elementary school, which occupies 2.8 acres of prime, ocean-view land along Third Street in downtown Encinitas.

Over the years, the district has put forward various development proposals for the property, most of which have faced intense opposition from neighboring property owners. City officials also have opposed the various plans, and last year district officials filed suit against the city after a request to rezone the property and put houses on it failed to win city approval.

But when Art Pulse came forward early this year with a proposal to put an art center and seven homes on the property, many people who opposed prior development proposals said this idea might be a good compromise.

Council members indicated an interest, and the district dropped its lawsuit against the city earlier this month.